Living Witness (episode)
Reactivated after lying inactive for 700 years, a backup version of The Doctor tries to uncover the truth about war crimes supposedly committed by Voyager when they passed a planet centuries ago. Summary :"When diplomacy fails, there's only one alternative; Violence. Force must be applied without apology. It's the Starfleet way." Captain Janeway, sporting uncharacteristically short hair and black gloves, negotiates with a Vaskan diplomat about fighting a war with the allegedly innocent Kyrians in return for the way to a wormhole. All of a sudden, a screen freezes to hear a voice commentary from a Kyrian tour guide at the Kyrian Museum of Heritage, named Quarren, explaining how after seven hundred years, they are still recovering from the acts of the evil [[Warship Voyager|Warship Voyager]]. A Vaskan participating in the tour asks how they know any of this is true, to which he is replied by the tour guide "Look at all the evidence we have." Quarren proceeds to tell his tour that a data storage device, buried nine meters beneath the ruins of Kesef and that came from Voyager, has been recently uncovered. The device might contain personal logs or other proof directly from Voyager. After the museum closes, Quarren uses recreated tools from Voyager to attempt to open the data. "Please state the nature of the medical emergency." The data source is actually a backup copy of the EMH (the Doctor). Quarren tells him that as a mass murderer, the Doctor will have to pay for his crimes. The Doctor is confused, wondering what crimes he is charged with. He then learns the Kyrian version of events. When he attempts to explain the correct version of events to Quarren, his explanation is met with skepticism. After taking some time to think, Quarren decides that the Doctor may be correct, and that for seven hundred years, the Kyrians have been teaching falsehood. The Doctor is then allowed to edit the simulation of Voyager s encounter with the Kyrians. Apparently, Voyager was trying to negotiate for dilithium in exchange for medical supplies. But just as they were about to seal the deal, the ship was boarded by a Kyrian party, which killed three engineering crewmen and took Seven of Nine and another crewman hostage. They accused Voyager of being the new allies of the Vaskans before they were cornered in the mess hall. This new recreation sparks a heated debate, as the Doctor's version of events implies that it was the Kyrians, rather than the Vaskans, who provoked the Great War. Still, some people do not believe the Doctor's testimony and demand that he be deleted. The Doctor, however, is convinced that with the medical tricorder that is on display he can prove that Tedran, a Kyrian hero and revolutionary believed to have been personally executed by Captain Janeway, died at the hand of a Vaskan weapon and not a Federation phaser. These new revelations snap the tension that has been steadily building between the Kyrians and the Vaskans over the previous hundreds of years. During the attack of a mob at the museum, the Doctor accidentally loses the tricorder while trying to help Quarren, who was injured. After the attack, the Doctor states that he should be shut down because as an EMH, he is obliged to help people, and his continued presence is causing riots and intense anger among both races. Quarren convinces him that his information is vital and will save many more people, not only now but hundreds of years from now as well, as both races cannot forge lasting relations without the real truth being known. The Doctor relents, and they begin to look for the tricorder. Further into the future, a group of Kyrians and Vaskans stand around a viewscreen, watching these events unfold. A tour guide explains how this was a turning point in the people's history, and how it brought about equality between the Kyrians and the Vaskans. The Doctor became Surgical Chancellor for many years, before leaving in a small craft to trace Voyager s path back to the Alpha Quadrant, "claiming to have a longing for home". Memorable Quotes "Why do you always keep me waiting, Tuvok?" : - Captain Janeway in the historical simulation "Captain, don't you think that's excessive?" "You picked a bad time to have second thoughts, ambassador." "I want them defeated, but... but this is genocide." "Defeat? Genocide? Why quibble with semantics?" : - Vaskan diplomat and Captain Janeway in the historical simulation "Don't look so shocked, ambassador. This is what you wanted, isn't it?" : - Captain Janeway after shooting Tedran in the historical simulation "What's going to happen to me now? Will you put me on display? The holographic Rip van Winkle?" : - The Doctor, concerned about his destiny "Voyager'' wasn't a warship! We were explorers!" "''Yes, I know. Trying to get home, to Mars." "Earth''! You see, you couldn't even get that right!" : - '''The Doctor' and Quarren "You have a better idea, lieutenant?" "As a matter of fact, I do. Fighter shuttles – a direct assault." "Led by you? Good luck." : - Chakotay, Tom Paris, and Neelix, in the historical simulation "Pure fiction. This is absurd." "Halt re-creation. This is a reasonable extrapolation from historic record. But if you'd like to point out any inconsistencies..." "Inconsistencies? I don't know where to begin. Granted, this looks like the briefing room, but these aren't the people I knew! No one behaved like this... well, aside from Mr. Paris." : - The Doctor about the holographic simulation "Somewhere – halfway across the galaxy, I hope – Captain Janeway is spinning in her grave." : - The Doctor, regarding further inconsistencies in the historical simulation "You've portrayed us as monsters: the captain is a cold-blooded killer, the crew is a gang of thugs and I am a mass-murderer." : - The Doctor, summing up what he saw in the historical simulation "I'll go first, Captain, and draw any fire if need be." "Your crew is heroic, Captain..." "I just happen to be invulnerable to phaser fire - but I appreciate the compliment." : - The Doctor and Daleth in the Doctor's own recreation of the same event "For your information, I don't appreciate being deactivated in the middle of a sentence. It brings back... unpleasant memories." : - The Doctor "You miss them, don't you?" "B'Elanna Torres... intelligent, beautiful, and with a chip on her shoulder the size of the Horsehead Nebula." : - Quarren and The Doctor "Please state the nature of the medical – oh... it's you." : - The Doctor, to Quarren "From my perspective, I saw them all only a few days ago. But in fact, it's been centuries. And I'll never see them again. Did they ever reach home? I wonder." : - The Doctor Background Information Story and Script * This episode was pitched by Rob DeBorde, former writing partner of teleplay co-writer Bryan Fuller. "He had the Doctor reactivated in the future, realizing that he was responsible for an artificial intelligence movement and having them be accepted as living beings, as members of society," Fuller said of the original plot concept. (The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine, issue #18) * Bryan Fuller, Brannon Braga and Joe Menosky then worked on DeBorde's story idea, changing The Doctor's predicament. "''We felt that was a little too close to Data," Fuller recalled, "so we took it the other way with the historical revisionism, and that was fun to do." Bryan Fuller felt that Braga was solely responsible for the act of changing the plot. "On that one, Brannon's responsible for the story completely, as far as reworking Rob's premise," Fuller maintained, "''and the historical revisionism is all Brannon. He wanted to tell that story." (The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine, issue #18) * The revised version of the plot was influenced by the controversial issue of extremists and their reinterpretation of historical facts. "So here we have the Kyrians who want pride, but they're basing it on something that may or may not have happened," Fuller observed of the Kyrians' misguided society. "They have other reasons to be proud, other things they've accomplished to be proud of, but the whole thread is incorrect." (The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine, issue #18) * Summing up his feelings about the writing of this episode, Bryan Fuller remarked that the installment "was just a cool concept." (The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine, issue #18) Cast and Characters * Robert Picardo plays three different holographic versions of The Doctor in this episode (one of them an android) but does not actually play the usual version of that character (i.e., Picardo's normal role in the series). * Henry Woronicz previously played another alien attempting to learn his species' history through the , in . * Roxann Dawson (B'Elanna Torres) does not appear in this episode, as she was recovering from the birth of her daughter, Emma Rose Dawson, who was born on . Sets and Props * Some sets in this episode, including the Kyrian Museum of Heritage, were also used in . The museum was used as a part of the Son'a ship in the film. * In one of the scenes set in the fictional sickbay, a small, clear, cylindrical object with a gold coil-like accent inside can be seen on the table where the biobed is normally kept. This object was used as one of the parts of Steth's coaxial warp ship in . * In several scenes set in the fictional sickbay, in the biolab (the room typically seen in the background of most sickbay shots, opposite the portion of sickbay which contains the biobeds) can be seen a tall, cylindrical glass chamber. This cylinder later appeared as the quarantine chamber on Cold Station 12, in , as well as the agony booth in . * The transwarp drive prop used in can be seen on Quarren's desk. Production * This episode marks the directorial debut of Tuvok actor Tim Russ, the third main cast member of Voyager to direct an episode of the series (following Robert Duncan McNeill and Robert Picardo). As such, this episode follows a trend set by and (directed by McNeill) as well as (helmed by Picardo). It is also the only episode of Voyager s fourth season to be directed by a main cast member from the series, partly because the three previous such outings were third season installments. * Prior to directing this installment, Tim Russ commented, "I may or may not consider directing an episode of the show down the line to get my feet wet." Between the time that he made that statement and the event of its publication in Star Trek Monthly, the arrangement was made whereby he was indeed set to direct a Voyager episode. However, Russ was originally scheduled to direct a third season installment. (Star Trek Monthly issue 20) He later commented, "The producers decide when it's time, when the time arises to let an actor take on a show." (The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine, issue #17) * Before directing this episode, Tim Russ had no idea that this would be the installment he would direct. "I had no idea what kind of show I would get. It could have been a character show, a light show, a spooky show or an action show," Russ explained. "For my first show, I would rather do something not so crazy and all over the place. I decided to make the best of whatever they had me do." (The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine, issue #17) This would ultimately be the only episode of any Star Trek series that Russ directed. Continuity * This is the only episode of any Star Trek series which does not feature any living Humans on-screen. * This episode could technically be considered the first Star Trek episode ever not to feature any regular characters, as they all appear only as holograms in Quarren's recreation of Voyager with the exception of The Doctor, who also appears as a backup version of his program. * The [[Warship Voyager|Warship Voyager]] features a Kazon crew member who is an ensign. * In Quarren's original recreation, none of the crew of the Warship Voyager wear rank insignia or combadges. In addition, the normal gray undershirt worn beneath the Starfleet jumpsuit has changed to black, and many crew members wear black gloves. Some other visible differences include different hairstyles (notably Janeway's) and a tattoo in the style of a New Zealand Maori on Chakotay. * One of the misconceptions the Kyrians had of Voyager was that their home was Mars. It is possible that they deduced this from Voyager being built at Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards orbiting Mars. * When Chakotay's name is said by the holographic Voyager crew, they pronounce it differently than they normally do (CHAkotay, rather than chaKOtay), suggesting that those that created the holographic simulation did not know how to pronounce it themselves. * The events in this episode took place at least 700 years from the time Voyager encountered the Kyrians. Since no date, or stardate, is given in the episode, the only element that dates the episode is Seven of Nine, placing this episode sometime after . This places the activation of the EMH backup and subsequent upheavals in the late 31st century (approximately, 3074). The final scene, however, takes place no sooner than seven years later, although the docent's monologue, and Quarren's statement that "it could be another seven hundred years," both imply that several generations had passed. It is reasonable to conclude that the final scene takes place as early as the 32nd century, and as late as the 38th century. Chronologically, this scene probably takes place farther in the future than any other filmed scene in the entire Star Trek franchise. * This episode suggests that it is possible to make a backup copy of The Doctor. However, in many other episodes (for example, ), it appears that his program will be lost forever if it is transferred and cannot return. This may be because the backup module was lost (as explained in this episode) and therefore unusable. * The existence of a backup module would seem to contradict the earlier fourth season installment , in which Tom Paris and Harry Kim try and fail to create another version of The Doctor. However, since no date or stardate is given in "Living Witness", the only element that dates when the module was stolen is Seven of Nine, placing the episode sometime after . This means that the module could have been stolen before the events in "Message in a Bottle", or it could have been created afterward and then stolen. The determinative question never directly answered by any episode of the series is whether Voyager launched with this technology on board. *This is the only episode of The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine or Voyager not to feature any scenes set in the 24th century. Aftermath * Several costumes from this episode were sold off on the ''It's A Wrap!'' sale and auction on eBay, including the costume of Robert Scott. Video and DVD releases *UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video): Volume 4.12, catalog number VHR 4633, *As part of the VOY Season 4 DVD collection Links and references Starring *Kate Mulgrew as Captain Kathryn Janeway Also starring *Robert Beltran as Commander Chakotay *Robert Duncan McNeill as Lieutenant Tom Paris *Ethan Phillips as Neelix *Robert Picardo as The Doctor *Tim Russ as Lieutenant Commander Tuvok *Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine *Garrett Wang as Ensign Harry Kim Guest stars *Henry Woronicz as Quarren *Rod Arrants as Daleth *Craig Richard Nelson as Vaskan arbiter *Marie Chambers as Kyrian arbiter *Brian Fitzpatrick as Tedran *Morgan Margolis as Vaskan visitor *Mary Anne McGarry as Tabris *Timothy Davis-Reed as Kyrian spectator Uncredited co-stars *Tarik Ergin as Ayala *Glenn Goldstein as a Kyrian commando *Fred Hafner as a Kyrian visitor *Tom Morga as a Warrior Borg drone *Jeff Pruitt as a Kyrian commando *Shepard Ross as Murphy *Robert Scott as a Vaskan *Steve Silverie as a Vaskan spectator *Unknown performers as **Kyrian commando **Tedran's accomplice **Tortured Kyrian **Kyrian Boy Visitor **Kyrian Women Visitors ** Two warrior Borg drones **Vaskan Visitors **Vaskan Spectator References arbiter; assault probe; biogenic weapon; Borg drone; cerebral cortex; dilithium; EMH backup module; Great War; hedgehog; Horsehead Nebula; hyperspanner; Kazon; Kesef; Kyrian; Kyrian fighter; Kyrian-Vaskan homeworld; Mars; medical tricorder; Museum of Kyrian Heritage; neural solvent; optic nerve; particle weapon; photon torpedo; Syrric Ocean; Vaskan; Van Winkle, Rip; The Voyager Encounter; [[Warship Voyager|Warship Voyager]]; wormhole |next= }} de:Der Zeitzeuge es:Living Witness fr:Living Witness nl:Living Witness Category:VOY episodes